If you haven’t already accepted that motorcycles running on something other than dead dino juice are the real deal, then you probably should come around. In many cases, they perform just as well as their fuel-burning brethren, and, depending on from where you get the electricity, they run cleanly. Now, they’re getting even cleaner with the introduction of the air-powered bike.
The O2 Pursuit, a project from an engineering school graduate in Australia, runs off compressed air stored in an on-board tank. Dean Benstead’s project began with a rotary air compression engine, around which he built a dirt bike. He started with a Yamaha WR250R frame, and added a scuba-diving tank and a 25-pound engine to power the rear wheel. Squeeze the throttle and air is released to accelerate the bike. And its stats are impressive. The O2 Pursuit gets 62 miles of travel on a full tank, and can hit a top speed of 87 mph.
Air beats electric both for convenience and environmental kindness. There’s no battery to dispose of when the cells eventually break down, filling up with air takes two minutes rather than hours required for charging, and it can be stored in an inert state forever. And while the air-powered car is little more than a four-wheeled scam we’ve been hearing about for decades, the low weight of a bike is perfectly suited for the application.
“When the air comes out, it’s in the same state as when you compressed it,” Benstead said. “You haven’t technically used anything.”
Aussie Dean Benstead is the designer of the O2 Pursuit air-powered motorcycle. His DIY project seems to fare quite well until now, as the compressed-air engines are likely to finally catch on a bit.
While the aidea of using pressurized air to power vehicles is no new thing as it dates back in the 19th century, it has been direly overlooked all this time. However, it’s absolutely wonderful to see how people start exploring this direction, and there is true potential ahead, cars and bikes alike.
Built on an old Yamaha WR250R frame, using the same wheels and fork, the O2 Pursuit looks very much like any other off-road bike, but lacks the engine and the overall weight is dramatically less. The compressed air is stored in a scuba diving tank replacing the old fuel tank and engine and a tuned engine using the same chain final transmission.
While the O2 Pursuit outs zero emissions itself and needs no batteries, the energy to compress air in the first place might still prevent the addition of the 100% green sticker. Solar energy used to power an electric compressor at home could do the job, tough.
All in all, since the working principle behind air-powered vehicles is really simple and affordable, we ‘d be delighted to see this technology advancing. And yes, the O2 Pursuit can do 60 miles (96.5 km) on a a canister, and can reach a staggering 87 mph (139 km/h) speed.
Air-Powered Motorcycle Runs on Scuba Tank, Rotary Engine
by Alexander George
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/11/air-motorcycle/
If you haven’t already accepted that motorcycles running on something other than dead dino juice are the real deal, then you probably should come around. In many cases, they perform just as well as their fuel-burning brethren, and, depending on from where you get the electricity, they run cleanly. Now, they’re getting even cleaner with the introduction of the air-powered bike.
The O2 Pursuit, a project from an engineering school graduate in Australia, runs off compressed air stored in an on-board tank. Dean Benstead’s project began with a rotary air compression engine, around which he built a dirt bike. He started with a Yamaha WR250R frame, and added a scuba-diving tank and a 25-pound engine to power the rear wheel. Squeeze the throttle and air is released to accelerate the bike. And its stats are impressive. The O2 Pursuit gets 62 miles of travel on a full tank, and can hit a top speed of 87 mph.
Air beats electric both for convenience and environmental kindness. There’s no battery to dispose of when the cells eventually break down, filling up with air takes two minutes rather than hours required for charging, and it can be stored in an inert state forever. And while the air-powered car is little more than a four-wheeled scam we’ve been hearing about for decades, the low weight of a bike is perfectly suited for the application.
“When the air comes out, it’s in the same state as when you compressed it,” Benstead said. “You haven’t technically used anything.”
O2 Pursuit Air-Powered Motorcycle Does 87 mph (139 km/h)
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/o2-pursuit-air-powered-motorcycle-does-87-mph-photo-gallery-51467.html
Aussie Dean Benstead is the designer of the O2 Pursuit air-powered motorcycle. His DIY project seems to fare quite well until now, as the compressed-air engines are likely to finally catch on a bit.
While the aidea of using pressurized air to power vehicles is no new thing as it dates back in the 19th century, it has been direly overlooked all this time. However, it’s absolutely wonderful to see how people start exploring this direction, and there is true potential ahead, cars and bikes alike.
Built on an old Yamaha WR250R frame, using the same wheels and fork, the O2 Pursuit looks very much like any other off-road bike, but lacks the engine and the overall weight is dramatically less. The compressed air is stored in a scuba diving tank replacing the old fuel tank and engine and a tuned engine using the same chain final transmission.
While the O2 Pursuit outs zero emissions itself and needs no batteries, the energy to compress air in the first place might still prevent the addition of the 100% green sticker. Solar energy used to power an electric compressor at home could do the job, tough.
All in all, since the working principle behind air-powered vehicles is really simple and affordable, we ‘d be delighted to see this technology advancing. And yes, the O2 Pursuit can do 60 miles (96.5 km) on a a canister, and can reach a staggering 87 mph (139 km/h) speed.